Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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36. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he has taken to raise the thresholds of eligibility and the grants for higher education grants under the SUSI scheme in view of the rapidly increasing cost of accommodation for third-level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35626/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I am very conscious of the many challenges faced by students this year, including in relation to student accommodation.The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to higher education expenditure, including student grants, are considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.

Budget 2021 provided for enhanced postgraduate supports from next year including the fee grant amount rising from €2,000 to €3,500 and the income threshold for eligibility for these grants to increase from €31,500, now €54,240. This is an initial step in meeting part of the Government’s commitments regarding SUSI grant support.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. It is anticipated that the review will be completed later this year and will inform future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.

The Student Grant Scheme 2021 contains a number of qualifying thresholds for various grant values. These gradations allow students just over a threshold margin, to remain in receipt of a grant, albeit at a reduced rate that reflects their relative income vis-à-vis other applicants.

The scheme provides for different levels of income thresholds where families have (i) less than 4 dependent children (ii) between 4 and 7 dependent children and (iii) 8 or more dependent children. In recognition of the additional cost to families where more than one person is attending college, income thresholds may also be increased by up to €4,830 for each additional family member attending college at the same time. In this way, the Student Grant Scheme is responsive to the individual circumstances of particular families.

Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home. There are also provisions for a number of income disregards which are not counted as reckonable income for the student grant means test.

Particular priority is afforded to those on the lowest incomes and social welfare dependents through the special rate of grant, which is payable at the higher non-adjacent rate of €5,915 or the adjacent rate of €2,375, depending on the distance travelled to the college attended.

Separately, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their higher education studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the higher education institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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37. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of SUSI and graduate entry medicine given students who currently wish to study graduate entry medicine face immense financial barriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36829/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

To satisfy the terms and conditions of the Student Grant Scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.

Students pursuing graduate entry medicine (GEM) programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Institutions participating in the graduate medical programme have been requested to provide accompanying services and supports to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged students in the programme.

The Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments approval was given to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. The review is being conducted by external consultants. It is anticipated that the SUSI review will be completed later this year and will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.

Students on graduate entry medicine courses may be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for financial support. The SAF guidelines provide that students with a previous higher education qualification at the same NFQ level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis and subject to available funding.

In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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38. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the SUSI review and if consideration is being given to extending the scheme to part-time and postgraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36826/21]

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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43. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the communication of the final report on the review of the student grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36825/21]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the advancement of the reforms of the SUSI grant; the expected date for any changes to come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36846/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 43 and 54 together.

The principal support provided by the Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

SUSI opened its application process for the 2021/22 academic year on March 31 and to date has received almost 74,000 applications.

This year’s scheme includes enhanced supports for postgraduate students which I secured in Budget 2021. This is an initial step in meeting part of the Government’s commitments regarding SUSI grant support. I also secured an additional €20m in Budget 2021 to meet anticipated demands on the scheme as a consequence of the Covid pandemic.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme.

My Department is overseeing the implementation of the review. A Steering Committee has been established to provide direction for the external consultants undertaking the review. Its membership includes: the Union of Students of Ireland; Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), SOLAS, the HEA; Irish University Association (IUA); Technological Higher Education Association (THEA); Technological University Dublin (TUD), the Department of Social Protection and officials from my Department.

A public consultation process closed in April with over 280 submissions received. The views of students were sought via an online survey process in May and over 9,000 survey responses were received. The consultants appointed to conduct the review, are carrying out their analysis of the data captured in the surveys. The findings will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.

Further details on the public consultation process for the review can be accessed at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/consultation/bb832-public-consultation-on-review-of-student-grant-scheme-susi-student-universal-support-ireland/